Martha McBride (1805-1891)
}} Martha McBride Knight Smith Kimball (1805-1891) Martha McBride, was a Mormon Pioneer that was married first to Vinson Knight, then Joseph Smith Jr, and then to Heber C Kimball. Vital Stats * Daughter of Daniel McBride (1762-1823) and Abigail Mead (1770-1854) * 1805-Mar-17 : Birth in Chester, Washington Co, New York, USA * 1829-Jul-06 : Marriage (1) to Vinson Knight (1804-1842) - in Perrisburg, Cattaraugus Co, New York, USA * 1842-Aug : Marriage (2) to Joseph Smith (1805-1844) the Mormon Prophet in Nauvoo, Illinois after death of first husband. * 1844-Nov-12 : Marriage (3) to Heber Chase Kimball (1801-1868) in Nauvoo after the martyrdom of Joseph. * 1891-Nov-20 : Died in Hooper, Weber Co, Utah - buried in Ogden City Cemetery Biography Martha McBride was a founding member of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which was organized on her birthday in 1842. She was married to early Latter Day Saint leader Vinson Knight, by whom she had seven children. In 1842 she was sealed as a plural wife to Joseph Smith, Jr. In January 1846, she was married polygamously to Heber C. Kimball, by whom she had one child, a son, who was born at Winter Quarters and died there as an infant. She later emigrated to Utah Territory, where she resided in various locations across the territory until her death at age 96. She was a witness to, and in some instances a key participant in, some of the pivotal events in early Latter Day Saint history. Martha’s father, an itinerant pre-Campbellite minister, moved the family to western New York, where he died when Martha was 18 years old. She married Vinson Knight, son of Doctor Rodolphus Knight and Rizpah Lee (daughter of American Revolutionary War Captain Sherebiah Lee), on July 26, 1826. They initially resided near Martha's relatives in Perrysburg, Cattaraugus County, where their first 4 children (Almira Knight, born 1827; Rizpah Knight, born 1829; Adaline Knight, born 1831; James Vinson Knight, born 1833) were born. Here Vinson acquired considerable wealth from his farm produce. Starting in 1833, members of the McBride family began converting to the Latter Day Saint church. Martha and Vinson were baptized into the church soon thereafter, on March 24, 1834, after having been personally taught in their home by Joseph Smith. Marriage and Family 1st Marriage: Vinson Knight # Almira Knight (1827-1912) - m. Sylvester Stoddard # Rizpah Knight (1829-1895) - m. Andrew Gibbons # Adaline Knight (1831-1919) - m. Gilbert Belnap # James Vinson Knight (1833-1912) - m. Celestial Roberts # Nathaniel Knight (1835-1836) - died young # Martha Abigail Knight (1839-1844) - died young # Rodolphus Elderkin Knight (1841-1842) - died young 2nd Marriage: Joseph Smith Jr Married in Aug-1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois. No descendants. We know virtually nothing about what Martha’s and Joseph’s married life was like, and little is known about Martha’s life in Nauvoo from the time of Vinson’s death to Joseph’s.” However, Martha McBride Knight signed an 1869 affidavit declaring that “in the summer of the year 1842 at the city of Nauvoo, County of Hancock, State of Illinois, She was married or sealed to Joseph Smith President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by Heber C. Kimble sic. one of the Twelve Apostles in said Church according to the law of the same regulating marriage.” 3rd Marriage: Heber C Kimball 1844-Oct-12 : Marriage to Heber Chase Kimball (1801-1868). The widow of Vinson Knight with several children by him, had remarried first to Joseph Smith Jr and then to Heber C Kimball. One of three plural wives widowed from Joseph Smith to remarry to Heber C Kimball. Married on 12 October 1844. # Infant Kimball - Son born and died in 1845. References * Spencer Kimball Family Ancestry * Martha McBride Knight - Wikipedia Article (pretty good source of information!) * Life Story of Martha McBride Knight - Belnap Family Organization Records * Martha McBride - JosephSmithPolygamy.org Category:Famous people Category:Converts to Mormonism Category:American Latter Day Saints Category:Mormon pioneers Category:Wife of Mormon Prophet Category:Wife of LDS Apostle